Flushing mechanism for water closets



Nov, 8, 1949 w. H. YOUNG 9 3 FLUSHING MECHANISM FOR WATER CLOSETS Filed Aug. 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I 7% Z 3-H" m. m

INVENTOR Nov. 8, 1949 w. H. YOUNG FLUSHING MECHANISM FOR WATER CLOSETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug 14, 1946 INVENTO R fill/11m A Xwm Patented Nov. 8, 1949 2,487,205 'FLUSHING MECHANISM FOR WATER CLOSETS William .H. Young, New York, N. Y., assignor to W. Harrison Young, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application August 14, 1946, Serial No. 690,495 8 Claims. (01; 4-77) This invention relates to water-closets, urinals and the like and particularly to those installed in ships and boats and especially motor boats employed as pleasure craft where conservation of space is a factor and in which the flushing medium employed for flushing the water-closet bowl is the water itself in which the ship or boat floats, as ordinary sea-water or river or lake water.

' The principal object of the invention is the production of a simple and compact mechanism for flushing a water-closet bowl and the like which may be operated efliciently and effectively with a minimum of effort and in a minimum of time.

A further object of the invention is the production of a water-closet bowl and flushing mechanism therefor both of which are compactly enclosed in a suitable housing which preferably is integral with the water-closet .bowl itself.

A further object of the invention is the production of a flushing mechanism for water-closets which employs a pump device which acts to flush the water-closet bowl and remove the contents thereof simultaneously.

Still a further object of the invention is the production of a flushing mechanism of the above type which shall include a cylinder and plunger reciprocable therein with other parts of the mechanism supported by and fastened to said cylinder.

A further'objectof the invention is the production of a pump mechanism of the character described above which shall be so constructed as to preclude by-passing of the contaminated water and foreign matter pumped from the water-closet bowl to the side of the mechanism which delivers water to the bowl for flushing purposes.

Other and. further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description thereof proceeds, the invention consisting in the improved mechanism for application to ,a watercloset bowl and the like and the water-closet bowl itself and the housing for its mechanism for flushing purposes all as hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevationand partialsection of a water-closet bowl and its flushing mechanism and the housing therefor taken on the line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the line 2--2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the bowl, flushing mechanism and housing.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line '5-5-of Fig. 4.

Referring in detail to the several figures of the drawing:

The bowl of the water-closet is indicated at In and it is preferably constructed of earthenware or other suitable ceramic material. Said bowl is provided with the usual flushing rim .Il having a water channel l'2 encircling the same and a plurality of spaced nozzles 13 communicating with said channel and extending downwardly therefrom and under the rim itself whereby streams of water may be directed downwardly against the inner surface of the bowl to flush and cleanse the same.

Preferably integral with the bowl l0 are the rearward extension or ledge I4, the front wall l5 and the side walls l6 forming a housing for the reception of the flushing mechanism to be presently described. Said bowl I0 is also provided with an inlet water passageway I! communicating with the water channel I2 in the flushing rim l l.

The bowl It is also provided with the usual outlet opening l8 registering with a soil pipe 19, said outlet and soil pipe each being provided with a cooperating clamping flange 20 which flanges are clamped together by suitable bolts as shown. The soil pipe l9 is provided with an elbow pipe connection 2.| terminating in a flange 22 cooperating with a similar flange 23 to which it is bolted or otherwise secured in any desirable manner. Flange '23 :is carried by a cylinder 24 having a pipe 25 communicating therewith adjacent its lower end. Pipe 25 is flanged at its outer end, as :at 26, which flange is bolted to a flange 27 of an outlet chamber 28 which communicates with pipe 25 and which is provided with an outlet pipe 29 for discharge of the contents of the bowl l0 after it has been properly flushed by means of the mechanism to be presently described.

A weighted flap check valve is indicated at 30 and it is positioned intermediate the discharge or upper end of pipe connection 2| and the lower end of cylinder 24. Said check valve normally lies in closed position as shown in Figs.-4 and 5. A further weighted flap check valve is indicated at 3| and it is positioned intermediate the discharge :end of pipe 25 and the inlet of outlet chamber 28. Said check valve -3l also normally lies in closed position, as shown in Fig. 5, when the pump which will shortly be described is inactive.

The cylinder 24 is provided with a piston head or plunger 32 which may be reciprocated therein and which has a piston rod 33 connected thereto which in turn is connected to the lower end of a cross-head 34 in the form of an open channel member which interflts with and slides or reciprocates in a cross-head chamber 35. 'One side of said cross-head chamber is closed by a removable cover plate 36 to permit access to the chamber when occasion arises. The opposite side of said chamber is open to a great extent and communicates freely with a water inlet-supply chamber 31. The cross-head chamber is open at its lower end and it is bolted or otherwise secured, as by bolted opposed clamping plates 38, to the upper end of cylinder 24.

The upper end of water supply chamber 31 is so constructed as to be provided with a valve seat 38' receiving a ball check-valve 39 normally closing communication between said chamber and an elbow conduit 40 screwed within the upper wall of or otherwise connected to said chamber. Conduit 40 is connected by a coupling 4| to an elbow conduit 42 the other end of which is connected by a plurality of connecting and fastening devices, indicated generally at 43, to the inlet water passageway hereinbefore referred to.

The lower end of conduit 49 which is received within water supply chamber 31 is provided with a plurality of spaced fingers 44 forming a plurality of openings through which water may pass from said chamber and through conduit 40 when the ball check valve 39 is forced from its seat by water pressure. An inlet water supply pipe is indicated at 45 and it communicates with a source of water supply for flushing purposes, as for instance, the ocean or a river or a lake. It may be provided with any suitable and conventional form of cut-off valve (not shown) if so desired.

The channel-shaped cross-head member 34 previously referred to supports a roller bearing 46 therein having an opening receiving a pin or stud 41 carried by an arm 48 adjacent its lower or free end. Adjacent its opposite end said arm 48 is rigidly fastened to the inner end of a rotatable shaft 49 which is journalled in a hollow bearing stud 50 on the cover plate 36 so that when said shaft 49 is rotated, the pin 41 and roller bearing 46 will revolve around the longitudinal axis of shaft 49 as a pivot. This movement, obviously, will reciprocate the cross-head 34 within the cross-head chamber 35 and likewise the plunger 32 within the cylinder 24 to impart a pumping action to said plunger.

The aforesaid rotatable shaft 49 is provided with a flange interposed between the cover plate 36 and arm 48 and acts as a stop to limit longitudinal movement of shaft 43 in bearing 56. Secured to said bearing is a hollow enlarged stud 52 exteriorly screw-threaded for receiving a hollow nut 53 whereby compressible packing (not shown) may be interposed between the stud 52 and nut 53 on the one hand and the rotatable shaft on the other hand, all as is well-known in constructions of like character. The outer end of said shaft 49 is provided with a collar 54 and it also carries a small spur-gear or pinion 55 which is fast on said shaft and is rotatable therewi h.

Mounted in a side wall I6 is a screw-threaded bearing 56, inwardly flanged as at 51, and carrying an outer tightening nut 58 which is screwed on said bearing. A rotatable actuating shaft 59 is journalled in said bearing and carries an actuating lever 60 which is fast on said shaft and which extends upwardly a considerable distance above the upper surface of the bowl l0, although a portion only of said shaft is shown in the drawing, so that'it may be conveniently gripped and actuated by a standing person when found desirable. A locking nut 6| is screwed on the outer end of shaft 59 to hold the actuating lever from disengagement therefrom. The inner end of said actuating shaft 59' extends freely through an enlarged opening 6| of a quadrant-shaped actuating plate or gear 62 the peripheral curved edge of which is provided with teeth 63 meshing with those of spur-gear or pinion 55.

The aforesaid plate 62 is loosely connected to an arm 64 adjacent the lower end thereof by means of a pin or pivot 65 carried by said arm and which rides in a slot 66 in said plate, a nut 61 also being provided which is screwed on the screw-threaded end of the pin or pivot to prevent disconnection of the arm from the plate. The other or upper end of said arm 64 is mounted on shaft 59 and made fast thereto so that a swinging movement will be imparted to the lower end of the arm when the shaft is partially rotated by means of the actuating lever 60. A vertical standard 68 is provided having a base 69 which may be fastened to the floor or other support in any desirable manner and the actuating plate 62 is pivoted to said standard, as by pivot 10, remote from the toothed edge of said plate. As shown, the radius of the quadrant-shaped actuating plate 62, that is the distance from its pivot to its peripheral edge, exceeds considerably the radius of the spur-gear or pinion 55.

The operation of the flushing mechanism is as follows:

When the actuating lever 60 is moved forwardly and rearwardly, motion is translated from shaft 59 to arm 64, to quadrant-shaped gear 62 which rocks on its pivot 10, thence to pinion 55 which rotates shaft 49, thence to arm 48 and cross-head 34 to reciprocate said cross-head in chamber 35 as roller 41 rides in the channel of said cross-head. Reciprocating movement of said cross-head obviously results in simultaneous reciprocation of the plunger 32 within the cylinder 24. The rocking movement of quadrant-shaped gear or plate 62 on its pivot is limited by the engagement of the end of shaft 59 in the upper corners of the opening 6| in said plate.

On the down-stroke of the plunger 32, water is drawn through the inlet pipe 45 from outboard or other source of supply and into the water-supply chamber 31, cross-head chamber 35 and cylinder 24 above the plunger head 32 so that a relatively large supply of water is immediately available for flushing purposes. On the up-stroke of said plunger 32, the water forces the ball check 39 upwardly permitting the water to be discharged through conduit 40, coupling 4|, conduit 42, water passageway I'I, channel l2 and nozzles l3 to flush the bowl I0 whereupon any foreign matter in the bowl and the polluted or contaminated water therein pass through soil pipe l9, pipe connection 2| and into the bottom of cylinder 24 and pipe 25 past flap check valve 30 which is opened inwardly partially by pressure applied thereagainst but chiefly by the suction created by the up-stroke of the plunger.

On the down-stroke of the plunger 32 and simultaneously with the drawing in of clean water from the source of supply for flushingpurposes and as above explained, the polluted'water and bowl contents in the bottom of cylinder 24 and in pipe 25 are pumped past the flap check valve 3|, into the outlet chamber 28, through outlet pipe 29 and back to the source of supply to complete the water cycle of operations. The flow of the water during such cycle is indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3 to inclusive. I

It will be noted from the above description that the plunger head 32 does not permit of the bypassing of any water or foreign matter from the underside thereof to the space in the cylinder-.24 abov'e sai d head so that only relatively clean water is employed for bowl-flushing purposes. The particular construction of the mechanism employed for reciprocation of the plunger head to produce its pumping, action requires but a few strokes of the actuating lever 60 to. properly flush and cleanse the bowl and removethe contents thereof, the ratio of rotation of the pinion55 to a complete pivotal movement of the quadrant-shapedblate 62 in either direction being about five to one. The mechanical construction between the parts is such, furthermore, as to permit manipulation of the actuating lever 60 with but slight effort.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-closet bowl having a water inlet for flushing the same and also provided with a discharge outlet, a cylinder connected to said inlet and outlet and to a source of water supply, a movable plunger interfitting with said cylinder, a crosshead chamber in free communication with said cylinder and the source of water supply, a channelled cross-head slidably supported within said cross-head chamber by the walls thereof and connected to said plunger, a roller carried by said cross-head, a rotatable shaft, means connecting said roller and shaft and means for rotating said shaft to simultaneously reciprocate the plunger and cross-head in the cylinder and cross-head chamber respectively.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-closet bowl having a water inlet for flushing the same and also provided with a discharge outlet, a cylinder connected to said discharge outlet, a reciprocable plunger in said cylinder, a water inlet-supply chamber connected to a source of water supply and to the aforesaid water inlet, a cross-head chamber in free communication with said water inlet-supply chamber and said cylinder, a cross-head supported by said cross-head chamber and connected to said plunger and movable therewith, a roller carried by said cross-head, a rotatable shaft journalled in a wall of said crosshead chamber, an arm rotatable therewith and connected thereto and to said roller and means for rotating said shaft.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-closet bowl havin a water inlet for flushing the same and also provided with a discharge outlet, a cylinder connected to said discharge outlet, an outlet pipe connected to said cylinder, a water-inlet supply chamber connected to a source of water supply and to the aforesaid water inlet and communicating with said cylinder, a reciprocable plunger within said cylinder, a crosshead chamber in free communication with said cylinder and said supply chamber, a cross-head mounted within and supported by said cross-head chamber and connected to and. movable with said plunger, a rotatable member, means for rotating the same and means connecting said rotatable member and said cross-head to impart reciproeating movement to said plunger when said rotate able member is rotated.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-closet bowl having a water inlet for flushing the same and also provided with a discharge outlet, a cylinder connected to said discharge outlet, a check valve interposed in the connection between said cylinder and discharge outlet, an outlet pipe connected to said cylinder, a check valve interposed between said outlet pipe and said cylinder, a water inlet-supply chamber connected to a source of water supply and to the aforesaid water inlet and communicating with said cylinder, a reciprocable plunger within said cylinder, a cross-head chamber in free communication with said cylinder and said water inletsupply chamber, a cross-head mounted and slidably supported in said cross-head chamber and connected to and movable with said plunger, a rotatable shaft journalled in a wall of said crosshead chamber, means for rotatin the same, a roller carried by said cross-head and an arm connecting said roller and rotatable shaft for imparting reciprocating movement to said crosshead and plunger when said shaft is rotated.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-closet bowl having a water inlet for flushing the same and also provided with a discharge outlet, a pump for connection to a source of water supply and adapted to simultaneously supply water to said inlet and to remove the contaminated water and foreign matter from said outlet, said pump including a cylinder connected to said inlet and outlet and a, plunger reciprocable in said cylinder and means.for actuating said plunger comprising a cross-head chamber, a cross-head connected to said plunger and slidably engaging and supported by said chamber, a rotatable shaft journalled in a wall of said chamber, means connecting said cross-head and rotatable shaft, a toothedmember carried by said rotatable shaft, a pivoted rockin member having teeth meshing with said toothed member and means for rocking said rocking member on its pivot.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-closet bowl having a water inlet and also provided with a discharge outlet, a pump for connection to a source of water supply and adapted to simultaneously supply water to said inlet and to remove the contaminated water and foreign matter from said outlet, said pump including a cylinder and a plunger reciprocable therein and means for actuating said plunger comprising a rotatable shaft, means connecting said shaft and plunger, a gear carried by said shaft, a pivoted plate provided with teeth on an edge thereof meshing with said gear and said plate also having a slot therein, a pivoted arm having a pin extendin through said slot and means for swinging said arm on its pivot.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-closet bowl having a water inlet for flushing said bowl and also provided with a discharge outlet, a pump for connection to a source of water supply and adapted to simultaneously supply water to said inlet and to remove the contaminated Water and foreign matter from said outlet, said pump including a cylinder and a reciprocable plunger therein and means for actuating said plunger comprising a rotatable shaft, means connecting said shaft and plunger, a gear carried by said shaft, a pivoted rocking plate having teeth meshing with said gear, said plat having an opening therein, an actuatin shaft extending through said opening and acting as a ply water to said inlet and to remove the con- 10 taminated water and foreign matter from said outlet, said pump including a cylinder and a reciprocable plunger therein and means for actuating said plunger comprising a rotatable shaft, means connecting said shaft and plunger, a pinion carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith, a pivoted rocking plate having teeth on its peripheral edge meshing with said pinion and having a radius appreciably in excess of the radius of said pinion and means for rocking said plate on its pivot including an actuating shaft, means for rotating said shaft and a swinging connection between said shaft and plate.

H. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 284,544 Evans Sept. 4, 1883 712,146 ,Mott Oct. 28, 1902 1,403,688 Hunter Jan. 17, 1922 1,425,192 Gase Aug. 8, 1922 1,625,902 Lee Apr. 26, 1927 1,820,883 Hueber Aug. 25, 1931 2,075,030 Duncan Mar. 30, 1937 

